


The Comfort of You

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Set in 4B [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 20:06:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15372327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Written for Secret Santa and Smores.After Robin returns from New York, Robin and Regina take a nap together, alternately reflecting on how glad they are to be together again.





	The Comfort of You

Her eyes are tired as she turns her key in the lock and pushes into her foyer, and her shoulders finally relax. She’s glad to be home. She smiles through hooded eyes as she steps into the living room and sees Robin asleep on her couch with Roland sprawled across him—it’s been a long day for them all. She lifts the boy carefully, smiling as his arms and legs wrap around her as she carries him up stairs and settles him in Henry’s bedroom. She tucks him in beneath the blue quilted blanket, hovering there for a moment, watching as he sleeps—so innocent and unaware. Leaning in, she brushes his messy curls away from his forehead, kissing his cheek as she wishes him sweet dreams before returning downstairs. 

She swallows a lump that’s settled at the back of her throat as she sits at the edge of the couch. She watches him for a moment—watching as his chest rises and falls, proof that he’s actually here with her. She reaches out tentatively, tracing her finger over his. Her fingers swirl over the back of his hand, enjoying the novelty of having more than a façade to hold onto. A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as his hand turns over, and his fingers instinctively fold down around hers—more proof that he’s there with her, that he’s tangible and real.

Her eyes take him in—his kind eyes are closed, crinkled a bit at the sides, and his chin and cheeks are scruffy with stubble. His shoulders are relaxed and he looks so content, as though he hasn’t been through hell and back, and she wonders how he does it—how he can remain so lighthearted and easygoing, optimistic and hopeful remains a mystery to her. Yet, it calms her and it makes her believer that everything really can be okay.

She lies down beside him and rests her head on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat—her own breaths beginning to match his, as her eyes begin to weigh more heavily. Her head settles against his shoulder and her body molds against his—so comfortable, a perfect fit, she thinks to herself as her thoughts begin to drift. She knows that their situation is complicated at best, that there are difficult conversations they need to have, hard choices they’ll need to make, painful battles they’ll need to fight—and she takes comfort in knowing that whatever challenges they’ve yet to face, they’ll do it together.

The months of separation and the sleepless nights, now feel like a distant memory to her. Nuzzling her cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt, she inhales and smiles—after everything, he still smells like forest; and that’s a comforting thought—that after everything that’s happened, after all they’ve been through, there are some things that will never change. She feels herself drifting further and further from the moment, her thoughts becoming fuzzy—and all she can think of is that she loves him—oh, how she loves him.  
__

His eyes flutter open and for a moment, he’s taken aback by his surroundings—hardly able to believe that it wasn’t all a dream, that he’s really been reunited with his love. He smiles down at her, sleeping against his chest—somehow having replaced Roland. In other circumstances it would be jarring to wake up and not know the whereabouts of his son, yet he’s not worried—he trusts her. He thinks of all the nights he’d stay awake, watching Roland sleep and hoping that he’d made the right choices for the sake of his son. And somehow, his thoughts always drifted back to Regina—the way she cared for his boy, the way she loved him—and it made him question whether not there could have been another way. For whatever its worth, he’s glad that his son has her once again.

He inhales a deep breath and slowly exhales it—finally able to breathe, finally able to relax, finally feeling content. It’s a small moment, he knows. There are larger ones looming—painful ones that he’d rather not deal with, that he’d rather forget, that he’d rather just leave behind him; yet, in this moment, he’s more than happy to enjoy the feel of her cuddled up against him, to feel her heart beat in rhythm with his, to know that she’s more than a figment of his imagination and won’t vanish with the rising sun.

He smiles as he lifts their hands—fingers entwined. Careful not to wake her, he brings their hands to his lips and places a soft kiss against her skin. He watches her for moment as she sleeps. He can’t help but note the dark circles beneath her eyes—evidence not just of her lack of sleep, but how hard this whole situation has been on her. Yet, there’s a soft smile on her face—evidence of the resiliency of her heart, a trait he finds to be her most admirable, a trait that somehow manages to give him strength.

Resting his head atop hers, he closes his eyes and enjoys her closeness and the warmth she brings—so comfortable, a perfect fit, he thinks as his thoughts again begin to shift. He knows that this moment is a mere calm in the storm, but it’s one in which he relishes. He dreams dealing with the life-altering events of their separation, knowing it’ll be difficult and painful for them both. But he also knows that they’re both committed to working through those things together, and that’s something he can take comfort in. 

Once more he feels his eyes growing tired and he feels his breath growing steadier. He drops a light kiss against her hair, and as he drifts further and further toward sleep, he can’t help but he feel he’s finally where he’s supposed to be. Over the course of the last several weeks, his life has been turned upside down time and time again, the most recent having happened less than a day ago; yet, as he holds her, he can’t help but feel the worst is finally past him and with her by his side, there isn’t anything he can’t overcome. His thoughts begin to fade as he drifts slowly back to sleep—and all he can think of is that he loves her—oh, how he loves her.


End file.
